Stay Tuned: ‘Fixer Upper’ and the magic touch of HGTV

Wednesday

Oct 4, 2017 at 2:03 PMOct 4, 2017 at 2:06 PM

Melissa Crawley More Content Now

Recently, a story came out that a couple who were on an episode of the HGTV show “Fixer Upper,” where Texas based Chip and Joanna Gaines “take the worst house in the best neighborhood” and transform it into their clients’ “dream home,” had never actually lived in their Gaines designed dream home. The couple rented out the one bedroom, 1,050 square foot shotgun house, which Chip and Joanna renovated in season three, and then put it on the market for $950,000 or $905 per square foot. To put this in perspective, the average price per square foot for a home in Waco, Texas is $99.

The price is not as delusional as it seems because HGTV has carefully constructed a brand around the Gaines’s that will help their shotgun house client cash in. And they are not alone. The Waco Tribune reported that at least six of the homes that Chip and Joanna have remodeled for clients appear on vacation rental websites. The couple are reportedly not thrilled about this trend and one article suggests that the Gaines’ renovation company, Magnolia Homes, would be addressing the practice by implementing stricter client contracts in the future. A spokesperson for the company commented that the couple wants to “honor” their viewers by remodeling clients’ homes, which is their “true intent.”

There is a point to be made, as others have suggested, that Joanna’s design style is ready-made for vacation rental. Her aesthetic is uncluttered and neutral and often beautiful in a very impersonal way. It’s easy for anyone to imagine themselves in the space so their rental appeal makes sense.

But there is something else at work here. Chip and Joanna are all about their family and their brand is as much about domestic bliss as it is about shiplap and subway tiles. Their four children frequently appear on the show, shopping with Joanna, playing with Chip, and doing chores on their idyllic family farm. Chip often brings them to a client’s almost finished house to share a family dinner with Joanna before she lovingly sends them off so that she can finish staging.

Wholesome and sweet, the images send a clear message: Home is family. It’s not a revolutionary concept but what is interesting is how HGTV connects Chip and Joanna’s version of shelter, which is by design impersonal, to a very personal conception of ideal domestic life. This idea is then made grander by its relationship to the American dream of homeownership.

On the cover of People magazine or promoting a book about their humble beginnings, Chip and Joanna are a rags to riches story. Their hard work has been rewarded with upward mobility and they participate in the joys of homeownership with their clients. They represent two tenants of the American dream in one attractive package and thanks to HGTV’s skillful branding, their clients can share in the economic benefits.

— Melissa Crawley is the author of “Mr. Sorkin Goes to Washington: Shaping the President on Television’s ‘The West Wing’” and the recently released “The American Television Critic.” She has a Ph.D. in media studies and is a member of the Television Critics Association. To comment on Stay Tuned, email her at staytuned@outlook.com or follow her on Twitter at @MelissaCrawley.